1. Field of the Invention
At least one example embodiment relates to an eco-friendly lacquer composition and a method of preparing the eco-friendly lacquer composition, and more particularly, to an eco-friendly lacquer composition and a method of preparing the eco-friendly lacquer composition that may minimize a whitening phenomenon and an amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to be emitted and that may be excellent in workability and physical properties.
Moreover, said eco-friendly lacquer composition according to disclosure, gives not only sufficient durability of a surface without pigment but also clear and transparent coated layer without chemical reactivity after drying process.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, a lacquer is a paint prepared by diluting a resin in a solvent, and a wide variety of resins and solvents are used for lacquer. Lacquer may include, for example, a water resistant spar lacquer that is obtained by heating and bonding a phenolic resin and drying oil as main materials and dissolving the phenolic resin and drying oil in a solvent and that is used for wooden furniture or items inside and outside a building requiring gloss and durability, a water resistant spar lacquer that is obtained by heating and bonding a phenolic resin and modified urethane oil as a main material and dissolving the phenolic resin and modified urethane oil in a solvent and that is used for wooden furniture or items inside and outside a building requiring gloss and durability, and an alkyd resin lacquer that includes an alkyd resin for oxidation and a volatile solvent as main materials and that is used for wooden and steel items inside and outside a building. In an example, a thermoplastic resin, such as polyethylene, may be dissolved in various solvents, and accordingly may be excellent in processability. However, when a solvent is volatilized, the thermoplastic resin may exhibit relatively very low physical properties on a surface of a substrate, which may result in a decrease in a performance as paint.
In another example, a thermosetting resin, such as polysulfonate, may be dissolved only in a solvent with a relatively high performance, and accordingly may have a low processability. However, when the solvent is volatilized, the thermosetting resin may have physical properties capable of relatively effectively protecting a surface of a substrate. As described above in the examples, it is very important to select a solvent suitable for a resin having an excellent processibility and capable of protecting a surface of a substrate after a solvent is removed. By selecting the solvent, a whitening phenomenon may be removed, workability and physical properties may be enhanced based on an amount of the selected solvent to be mixed with the resin, and the processability may increase due to a reaction with the resin. Also, pollution caused by pollutants generated while most solvents are volatilized may be prevented.
In other words, since organic compounds (VOCs) as well as toxic materials harmful to human bodies are emitted when most solvents are volatilized in air, toxicity of solvents is enough to deteriorate a working environment and cause environmental issues.
Polar organic solvents may be mainly used to dissolve a resin in a preparation of a lacquer. However, since the above organic solvents are typical carcinogens, a workplace environment may be severely damaged when a prepared lacquer is applied to a work site as well as when a lacquer is prepared.
Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2003-0040069 titled “Method of preparing thermosetting resin varnish” as a related art discloses a lacquer prepared by mixing an aromatic polysulfone resin in a solid form, for example, a powder or pellet, with an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent, for example, toluene or xylene.
Also, Korean Patent Registration No. 10-0928140 titled “Eco-friendly varnish composition and method of preparing the same” discloses a lacquer composition that includes 80 to 150 parts by weight of dimethyl carbonate, and 100 parts by weight of an acrylic modified alkyd resin that includes a modified alkyd resin prepared by a reaction of phthalic anhydride, glycerin, pentaerythritol and soybean fatty acid. However, the lacquer composition is not strongly bonded to a resin and is less eco-friendly even though dimethyl carbonate exempt from VOC regulations is used.
As described above, since solvents necessarily required to prepare a lacquer are mostly carcinogens, the solvents may be very harmful to human bodies. Accordingly, there is a desire for research and development of technologies for improving the above issues.
It is not distinguishable between lacquer and varnish and they have common characteristics such as film formation via solvent evaporation without chemical reaction. The only difference is solvent vaporization rate. For example, the varnish contains rapid evaporation solvent and lacquer contains slow evaporation solvent.